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UNITED STATES PATENT .OFFICE.

JOHN J. TRAVIS, OF OXFORD, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HENRI G. IDE, OF SAME PLACE.

KEY-FASTENER.

STPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 468,630, dated February 9, 1892.

Application filed July 6, 1891. Serial No. 398,520. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN J. TRAVIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oxford, county of Oakland, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Key-Fasteners; and I declare the following to be a full; clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in a key-fastener; and it consists of the device hereinafter specified and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a section through the lock, showing the key and fastener in elevation. Fig. 2 is a view from the rear end of the key and fastener. Fig. 3 is a View in section just in front of the face of the lock. Fig. 4 is a separate view of the ribbed sleeve. Fig. 5 is a View of the rear end of the key and fastener, showing the spring-latch. Fig. 6 is a similar view illustrating a modification.

The desirability of having some means of fastening a door-keyin a look so that burglars cannot turn or remove it to unlock the door is self-evident.

It is the object of my invention to provide a simple and economical attachment which may be applied to any ordinary key and effectually hold it in locked position, preventing its being turned in the lock or removed therefrom from the outside of a door in any manner.

I carry out my invention as follows:

A is any ordinary door-lock, and A the keyway to the interior thereof, of which a is the usual elongated slotted portion and a the usual annular orifice thereof. A denotes any ordinary key therefor, of which B is the stem and B is the head of the key. Upon the stem I engage a sleeve 0, provided with an elongated rib O, the sleeve being movable on said stem. The end of the rib adjacent to the lock is extended, as shown at c, to enter the slotted portion a of the keyway of the lock and is preferably of a width to fill the said slot, so that no instrument can be passed therethrough when the rib is engaged therein. In constructing the rib with the extension 0 to enter the keyway I also terminate the sleeve rearwardly from the end .of the rib, forming a shoulder at 0, so that its extremity will abut against the outer face of the look, about the annular orifice a thereof. At the outer end the key is provided with an earpiece D, having a jointed engagement with said stem, as shown at d, to allow the ear-piece to drop into engagement with the ribbed sleeve 0. To effect the engagement of the ear-piece and ribbed sleeve, the ear-piece is slotted or recessed, as shown at d, while the rib is constructed with a rear extension 0 the sleeve terminating forward of the joint (1, forminga shoulder 0 The rear extension 0 of the rib engages the slot or recess cl of the ear-piece when it is desired to lock the door. As shown, the joint cl is so formed that the ear-piece may move or drop substantially at right angles to the direction of the head B from the stem, although the precise degree of the angle is immaterial, the construction, however, being such that the ear-piece may engage the rib of the sleeve when the head of the keyis so turned as to be out of alignment with the key, and consequently cannot be removed from the lock. My invention also provides for looking or setting the ear in engagement with said rib so that they cannot be disengaged from outside the door.

As shown in the drawings, a springdatch or pin E may be located in the ear-piece and provided with a bent end 6 to engage upon the under edge of the rear extension c of the rib,

which extension may, if desired, be notched, as shown at 0 to receive the bent end of the spring-latch. The spring may be arranged to engage the latch with the rib. By pressing upward on the latch the same is released from the rib, so that the car can be disengaged therefrom; or a set-screw E may be employed to be forced into engagement with the rib. My invention contemplates any locking device to hold the ear in engagement with the rib. The sleeve being provided with the shoulder at c to abut against the face of the lock the rib C is always kept from sliding inward in the look away from engagement with the ear-piece, as said shoulder serves the same function as the customary shoulder on the key-stem adjacent to the head. It will be seen that the ribbed sleeve is kept from rotating because the sides of the front extension 0 of the rib bind against the edges of the slot an of the keyway. The sleeve may be continuous on the stem or not, as maybe preferred.

It will be observed that when the ear-piece is in engagement with the rib the key is effectually kept from turning in the lock, and the head being out of alignment with the key- Way it cannot be removed.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is- 1. The combination, with a key, of a rib sleeved upon the stem of the key, said stem provided with an ear-piece jointedly engaged with its rear extremity to look upon the rear end of the ribbed sleeve, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a key, of a rib sleeved upon the stem of the key, an ear-piece having a jointed engagement with the rear end of said stem to look upon the rear end of said ribbed sleeve, and a locking device to hold the ear-piece in engagement with the ribbed sleeve, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a key, of a sleeve 0, located upon the stem of the key and provided with'a rib O, constructed with front and rear extensions 0 c and an ear-piece having a jointed engagement with the rear end of the stem, said ear-piece being recessed or slotted to receive the rear extension 0 of the rib and hold the key from turning, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN J. TRAVIS.

Witnesses:

N. S. WRIGHT, JOHN F. MILLER. 

